We arrived to our cabin and to our surprise there was still a lot of snow. Payton loves being here and is enjoying playing. Two of my brothers and both sisters came up as well. We are enjoying spending time together. We decided to go on a walk this morning and it was an absolutely beautiful walk to see the mountains and snow. Kind of weird to think that it is into April and there is still this much snow here. I love the snow, but only for a few days. I know I would get tired of it really soon. The scenery up here is absolutely beautiful and it’s a great way to spend a few days from your crazy life. Wish we could be here longer.

A fun day with Grandpa and Grandma!

We took the kids a local baby animal farm on Friday afternoon, and the kids had a great time. Payton enjoyed the pony ride and seeing all the baby animals. It was a great day and they had a lot of fun with their Grandpa and Grandma.

We finally arrived at my parent’s house in Utah and the kids were thrilled to see everyone. Payton has had a blast playing and being himself. I am loving watching him be free and not having a single concern. That is what being a 3 year old should be about. Payton has done well, but has had a few melt downs, which has mainly been at night. Sometimes Payton does fine and other times he acts like he still isn’t felling 100 percent. He still wants to sleep a lot and I think that I expected him to rebound a little faster. I really think that Dr. Bowman was right when he said that it could take 6 months for him to recover.

It sounds like Savannah is starting to feel better andthat her and Chad are getting along great without Paytonand I.

We are heading to the cabin tomorrow for some rest and
relaxation and I can hardly wait.

What a crazy way to start your vacation. We were supposed to fly out on American Airlines on Tuesday. Since we got caught up into all the flight cancellations that American is having we were not able to fly out until Wednesday. Then, on top of everything else, Savannah woke up in the night with a temp of 104 and throwing up. Keeping our fingers crossed that Payton and I don’t get sick as well, since this is a much needed vacation. Our flight was actually canceled twice and we were lucky to even get on an afternoon flight, since they had 54 people flying standby for this flight. What a crazy experience. My sister and I were ready to get on a plane after chasing Payton and Ella around the airport. You got to love two “3 years olds” that have a mind of their own. They were both really anxious to finally be on the plane. After we got our seats, one of the flight attendants was asking about Payton’s bald head. I’ve been amazed at the questions I've been asked throughout all this. I guessthat I would rather have somebody ask questions than get stares. Anyway, I explained that he didn’t have hair because he has been going through chemo. She immediately asked Payton if he’d like to go and meet the pilots and sit in the cock pit. Payton shook his head yes and we went up and met the pilots and he got to sit in their chair. The pilot was so nice and said that he had his camera and offered to take a picture and to e-mail it to me. Payton was in shock and didn’t say anything. When we got back to our seat he told the Lady next to us “I got to fly the plane.” He continued to beg me to fly the plane again. That was a neat experience for him since he has a fascination with planes. Lucky for me, Payton slept most of the trip and so I was able to close my eyes for a minute as well.

The kids were absolutely thrilled to see their Grandpa and Grandma. We are really looking forward to being away for a few days. We are going to my Grandpa’s Cabin at Bear Lake for a couple nights and it will be fun to just relax.

All boy!

As Payton starts to recover I notice more each day that he is all boy. Payton spends most of his day looking for rocks, sticks, bugs, and water or mud to play in. It dawned on me the other day, that he probably doesn’t remember really spending time outside playing. He is so dang cute and I am loving watching him. He is such a sweet little boy. It is so great not having to worry about appointments and running back and forth to the hospital. I really can’t even explain how nice it is. This has really made me stop and realize the quality time that I want to have with my kids. Yes, it is always in the back of my head, that what if we ever hear the dreaded words again or if we are going to deal with long term side effects. I am really trying not to think about it too much, because you could really stress yourself out. I just love this little guy so much and I am so proud of him for bouncing back as well as he has. He is truly the one that has helped me bounce back as well.

High School Musical On Ice!

Last night Savannah and I went to High School Musical on ice with my sister Jennifer and her sister-in-law Krista. The kids had a great time and it was so good to get out and have some one-on-one time with Savannah. She absolutely needed it and I really should do it more often. Chad and Payton stayed home and went to a hot dog cook-out that our ward was having at the church. I guess Payton downed 3 hotdogs. It’s sad to say, but hotdogs are one of his favorite things to eat. Chad took Payton in his red wagon and walked since we are so close and I’m sure that Payton had a great time as well.

It’s really been a quiet weekend so far. I went to work today and am tired, since we were up late last night. I am looking forward to my vacation to Utah on Tuesday. I’m in need of a break, especially since I jumped right back into work after all of this.

Payton is doing great. He is still sleeping for long periods at a time, but I think it must be his body’s way of recuperating. Trust me, I’m not complaining since I feel as if I am catching up on my sleep as well. Payton is all boy and is enjoying being at home playing with his toys. He would be quite content to stay home all day only to make a quick trip to Sonic for a slushy.

Happy 3rd Birthday Payton!

Hey little guy, it was your Birthday today and what a great day it was. You were so excited when you awoke; you walked around the house saying “Happy Birthday.” You received some surprise guests this morning that brought some presents for you. You were so excited that you said “Oh, Oh” to everything that you opened. What great friends we have. I asked you what you wanted to do today and you replied “I want Joe’s Hot Noodles.” We went to Joe’s hot noodles for lunch with your aunt Jennifer and cousin Ella. We brought some of your presents and some balloons for you. You thought you were the King of the place. You danced around talking about hot noodles and how it was your Birthday. I absolutely loved the pure excitement that I saw in your faces and eyes. When we arrived home you received a cookie bouquet with a balloon from the Chavis family that used to live in our ward. You were so excited since cookies are one of your favorite treats. You could hardly wait for me to get a picture before you opened them. You were so excited to see you “sissy” come home from school, she came running to you and you told her “Happy Birthday.” Savannah gave you some presents that she had wrapped herself and you told her “thank you, sissy.” You had a great day playing with your toys. We had to keep most of your presents hidden, since your dad wanted to watch you open them and I knew that you wouldn’t be able to wait. We took pizzas and cake to the park tonight with your cousins and you were so excited that you wanted to play instead of eat. You ran around as fast as your little legs could carry you. When we arrived home, the young women in our ward come over and sang to you and brought you some cookies.

Payton, I know that your third year of life has to be better than the 2nd. I’m so glad you are finished with all your chemo. What a special little boy you are. You are so sweet and all boy, into dinosaurs, trucks, cars, airplanes, and animals. We are having so much fun watching you and enjoying every minute that we get to spend with you. It is so great to see that you are feeling better and we love that we are getting our little boy back. Thanks to everyone who made it a great day.